Outdoor Ontario

Wildlife Reports => Toronto Wildlife => Topic started by: JW Mills on September 06, 2011, 07:55:49 AM

Title: Four Butterflies
Post by: JW Mills on September 06, 2011, 07:55:49 AM

Black Swallowtail
(http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u225/zed37/Butterflies%20and%20Moths/BSwT003x03.jpg)
 
Question Mark
(http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u225/zed37/Butterflies%20and%20Moths/Ques038x03.jpg)
 
Viceroy
(http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u225/zed37/Butterflies%20and%20Moths/Vice068x01.jpg)
 
White Admiral
(http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u225/zed37/Butterflies%20and%20Moths/WhAd060x01.jpg)

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Post by: Rob'in'To on September 06, 2011, 08:41:37 AM

Cool.  I just learned, err, figured out about the Question Mark when I had a ? about one I photo'd.

Viceroy?  Gee, I would think it was a Monarch buzzing around.  I better read up on the difference.

Great bug pics you have posted this summer John!

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Post by: BoboBird on September 06, 2011, 09:39:07 AM

Very nice ones zed, very nice.

Hmmmm, same here about the Viceroy, always thought they were Monarchs.

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Post by: JW Mills on September 06, 2011, 07:58:36 PM

Thanks guys.
 
Most of the butterflies you see are Monarchs.
A Monarch and a Viceroy are very similar in appearance. The main difference is a Viceroy has a black bar crossing the  hindwing. The Monarch does not.
 
Monarch larva feed on milkweed. As a result a Monarch butterfly will leave a very bad taste in the mouth of any bird that eats it. The bird then will shy away from eating any more Monarchs. Viceroys mimic the Monarchs' colours to take advantage of this defense mechanism.

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Post by: Rob'in'To on September 06, 2011, 08:27:57 PM

Thanks for the lesson!

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Post by: Reuven_M on September 06, 2011, 08:40:17 PM

Quote from: "zed"

Thanks guys.
 
Most of the butterflies you see are Monarchs.
A Monarch and a Viceroy are very similar in appearance. The main difference is a Viceroy has a black bar crossing the  hindwing. The Monarch does not.
 
Monarch larva feed on milkweed. As a result a Monarch butterfly will leave a very bad taste in the mouth of any bird that eats it. The bird then will shy away from eating any more Monarchs. Viceroys mimic the Monarchs' colours to take advantage of this defense mechanism.

Actually, more recently it's been discovered that viceroy's are even more poisonous and distasteful than monarchs, they have evolved to look like each other to take advantage of each other's defense (called mullerian mimicry)

Viceroys always look smaller with a more fluttery flight than monarchs in my experience